


Fourth of July

by redhoodedwolf



Series: From Tumblr [16]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, America, Break Up/Make Up, Flashbacks, Fourth of July, Happy Ending, M/M, basically they are all adults in a normal universe?, brief mentions of talia hale but a major-ish plot device?, i promise i can't do non-fluff fics, lil bit of sad lil bit of happy lots of random plot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-05
Updated: 2015-07-05
Packaged: 2018-04-07 17:47:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,986
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4272375
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/redhoodedwolf/pseuds/redhoodedwolf
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>As June came to a close, the only thing anyone could talk about was the Fourth of July coming up. It’s all you see on tv, in commercials, on the radio, in the stores… and Stiles had never hated the holiday more than he did this year.<br/>Besides the fact that fireworks have always tugged at his anxiety, memories of the year past were what was really bothering him this time around.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Fourth of July

**Author's Note:**

> This fic was prompted by me needing to write something and also FOB's song of the same title  
> Originally posted on my tumblr here: http://redhoodedwolf.tumblr.com/post/123237815750/fourth-of-july

                As June came to a close, the only thing anyone could talk about was the Fourth of July coming up. It’s all you see on tv, in commercials, on the radio, in the stores... and Stiles had never hated the holiday more than he did this year.

                Besides the fact that fireworks have always tugged at his anxiety, memories of the year past were what was really bothering him this time around. 

_The cans were cold enough that they burned his hands as he carried them to their seats at the table, but the refreshing taste of the icy drink helped the heat of the day disappear, even just a little. Derek took the other can from his hand, arm slinging around his shoulders. “Thank you,” he murmured against Stiles’ cheek, and Stiles smiled._

                Stiles shook away the memory, the one that had been surfacing much more often in the last month. He turned his gaze away from his blank phone to his computer screen where he had been sorting through emails. Cora was the best assistant Stiles had ever had, but bless her heart, she could never quite latch on to his specific organizing system. Not for lack of trying, though.

                The constant patter of rain continued to hail down on his office windows, and the dismal sky did nothing to brighten Stiles’ mood. 

_Bright streaks of fire flew across the sky, and Derek held onto Stiles tightly. “You okay?” he asked for the third time since the fireworks show had started._

_Stiles rolled his eyes and nodded, again. “Yes.” And to reassure his boyfriend, he added, “You’re here with me. I’ve never been better.”_

_An indecipherable look passed over Derek’s face, something Stiles could only relate to awe, before Derek pulled him into a heated kiss, fireworks long forgotten._

                “Fuck,” Stiles hissed, digging his fingernails into the palms of his hands.

                “Boss?” Cora knocked on his door and pushed it open slightly to pop her head through the crack. “Your meeting?”

                “Right,” Stiles said, then repeated. “Right. Um, I’ll be right there.”

                Cora disappeared, his office door closing, and Stiles slumped in his seat slightly. After a moment, he stood up, grabbed his laptop, and steeled himself for a very boring meeting. 

_“What do you mean?” Stiles’ voice sounded distant, even to himself. All he could really hear was the shattering of his heart, of his very being._

_“I mean what I said, Stiles.” Stiles hated when Derek talks like this, like he feels nothing. But Stiles knew better, could see the slight tremor in Derek’s jaw and the constant blinking. He could see Derek had been torn apart, too._

_“Just... leaving? With no notice, nothing?”_

_“I didn’t know how to tell you,” Derek confessed, voice breaking slightly. “It’s my Mom, I can’t-- I can’t just tell her to fuck off--”_

_“The hell you can't!” Stiles screeched._

_“Stiles!” Derek stared at him in shock. “What would you do? If your father was sick, what would you do?”_

_Stiles knew he had a point, but he was too hurt, too prideful to take back his words. “What about Cora? She hasn’t quit yet, why isn’t she going?”_

_“Cora has a job. With you. A great job that she loves. I’ve been in and out of different jobs for years. She asked me, Stiles. I can’t say no to my mom.”_

_Stiles’ vision began to swim. “You-- you could be with me, with me, some you lo--” Stiles choked back his words. He stepped back once, then two more times. Wiping at his face with the back of his arm, he swore. “Fuck it. Fuck it all. Leave. See if I care. Obviously this whole thing meant nothing to you, so just go. Go!”_

_Derek reached out, like he wanted to grab Stiles, but Stiles didn’t give him the chance._

_“Don’t expect me to miss you.”_

_With those parting words, Stiles stormed out, without giving Derek time to even react to those too-harsh words._

_He didn’t mean it, he didn’t mean any of it. The sting of loneliness was already encroaching upon him. And even though he’d just stormed out of his own house, he left Derek there to clean up the mess. He drove back to his father’s house, the 3AM darkness blanketing him until all he felt was emptiness._

                He should have expected for it to happen this week. After all, it would have marked a year since Derek and Stiles last saw each other. Cora had given Stiles monthly updates on her mother’s health, and it thankfully never got bad enough that she had to go home as well. The last Stiles heard, she was up and walking again, playing with her eldest daughter’s grandchildren when she could. 

                It should have been the logical conclusion that once his job was done, Derek would return home. This didn’t occur to Stiles, however, until his father informed him that at their annual Fourth of July party, Cora was bringing a guest.

                “She RSVPd, and asked if she could bring someone. Does she have a partner?”

                Stiles shrugged. “Not that I know of. Maybe it’s someone new. But I’m pretty sure I would have heard about it from her, she talks about her dates often.”

                There is a minute of silence on the other end of the line, and Stiles’ brow furrowed in confusion. He grabbed the phone from where it had been crushed between his cheek and shoulder to see if they had accidentally disconnected. The call was still running, though, so Stiles asked hesitantly, “Dad? You still there.”

                “Stiles,” his father replied, his voice sounding like it did when he had to break bad news. “Is it possible that... Derek is back in town?”

                Stiles almost dropped the phone in shock because yes, that was very possible. And that would make much more sense than Cora having a date, because he would have been told about it. Of course Cora wouldn’t tell Stiles Derek was back. She would want to scheme to get them together in a public setting where no fights could break out, where they could talk and have a civil conversation, and maybe--

                “Stiles? You still with me, son?”

                “Yeah. Yeah, I’m... I’m just trying to process. Derek’s back in town.”

                “We don’t need to have a discussion about proper behavior, do we?”

                Stiles glared at the phone. “No, Dad. I’ll be civil... Besides, if anyone has the right to be angry, it’s him. I said so many terrible things to him.”

                “Now, you both had the right to be angry. But it’s been a year, almost to the day exactly. If he’s half the man he seemed to be to me, he will have forgiven you.”

                “And if he hasn’t?”

                “Think about this, son. Why else would Derek be coming to this party other than to talk to you?”

                A burst of hope fluttered in his chest.

                “And if he hasn’t forgiven you, and acts like an ass, I’ll have him thrown out of the county.”

                Stiles chuckled and tried his best to ignore how badly his hand had started to shake. “Thanks, Dad.”

                “Any time, son. Love you.”

                “Love you too.”

_Waking up in Derek’s arms was one of the greatest things Stiles had ever felt._

_The early morning sun breaking through the curtains, washing over them both, warming his exposed face slightly. Derek’s chin scruff scraped gently against his chest, and Stiles shivered at the feeling._

_Prying his eyes open, he stared down at his sleeping beauty, and sent out a prayer to whoever was listening that he would get to keep this._

                Stiles held a death grip to his brownie pan as he carried it from his Jeep into his father’s house. There were only a few cars in front of the house, and not one a distinctive Hale vehicle, but he was still on edge. 

                Scott found him in the kitchen and used his son, Liam, to distract him, while he swiped a couple cookies. Stiles let the bandit go back to his wife, but kept Liam with him so he could teach him how to prepare meat to go on the grill.

                It was almost 3PM, and most of the guests had arrived, but thankfully a certain two had not. But Stiles knew it was only a matter of time. He debated hiding away in his childhood bedroom, but Melissa grabbed him by the arm and brought him into a conversation with Lydia, his father, and Jordan Parrish, Lydia’s fiancé and his father’s deputy. 

                The sound of the sliding glass door that lead from the kitchen into the backyard had Stiles on high alert. Something in him knew that Derek was there.

                Turning slowly, he glanced over and saw Cora scowling at Derek who only had one foot in the backyard. He looked like he was trying to escape. 

                He also looked... really good. His shirt was long sleeved, but loose enough to be comfortably worn in this summer heat, and his hair was longer, a little slicked back in a way that reminded Stiles of a prince. He was slimmer, slightly, not as much muscle, but he looked comfortable in his body. Still, he looked terrified. 

                Stiles’ father glanced at him in worry, but Stiles waved him off. Stiles saw the same expression on Derek’s face that he felt inside, and he knew. Derek had missed him too. 

                “Derek,” he spoke, then repeated, louder and more sure, “Derek.”

                Both of the Hale siblings looked over at him. Cora looked at him with an innocent expression on her face, like she hadn’t in one second dragged in the biggest heartbreak of his life. Derek just looked shocked.

                “It’s really good to see you,” Stiles said, walking up to him, Cora forgotten. 

                “Stiles...” Derek looked like he was in shock, eyes flitting all over Stiles, and finally landing on his face. “You look really good.”

                Stiles smiled slightly. “Would you like to go into the living room. And talk?”

                Derek spurred into action. He backed out of the doorway and into the kitchen, looking over his shoulder every two seconds to be sure Stiles was still following him.

                “Derek--” Stiles started, but Derek cut him off.

                “I missed you. I really fucking missed you, Stiles. I know leaving you on a day’s notice was a shitty thing to do, and I’m so sorry, but I never wanted-- I never wanted to lose you.”

                Stiles blinked. “Wow. Um. I’m going to be honest, Derek, you have ten times the right to be pissed at me. Yes you left, but I barely gave you time to explain yourself. And you left to take care of your mom, it wasn’t just nothing. I was irrationally angry at you, and you didn’t deserve any of those things I said. Of-- of course I missed you. I missed you the second you told me you had to leave. That’s why--”

                “Stiles,” Derek cut him off again, one hand cupping Stiles bicep. “I’m back. Mom has been stable for months, and she basically pushed me onto the plane when I told her about you. Hit me quite a few times, too. But I’m back. I have a job, I’m staying with Cora for the time being. I would really like another shot with you, if you’ll give me the chance.”

                “Will you give me a chance, too?” Stiles blurted. 

                Derek’s responding smile was infectious, and Stiles pulled him into a hug. 

                “We’ll go slow,” Derek spoke.

                “Oh, absolutely,” Stiles agreed, nodding his head.

_“I think I’m really close to falling in love with you,” Stiles whispered, fingers stroking through a sleeping Derek’s hair._

                “I think I’m close to falling back in love with you,” Stiles confessed, hours later, after the last firework smoke began to drift away on the wind.

                Derek pressed a kiss to the side of his head. “Me too.” 

**Author's Note:**

> You can find me on tumblr at redhoodedwolf


End file.
